Things I hold to be true #1
You are not your user, so stop designing for yourself. Understanding what your users need and communicating that around the organisation is super important.
You are not your user, so stop designing for yourself. Understanding what your users need and communicating that around the organisation is super important.
However research doesn't tell you what to do, so don't rely on it too heavily. Otherwise you can get stuck down rabbit holes and paralysis sets in. So focus on getting just enough research to inform decision making.
FYI I'm aware that "user" is a contention term, so have mostly used it here for the sake of brevity. Feel free to substitute it with whatever term you feel most comfortable with.
Things I hold to be true #2
It's often easier to break big problems down into smaller problems, which is one of the benefits of the agile process.
It's often easier to break big problems down into smaller problems, which is one of the benefits of the agile process.
However if you break things down too much, you lose the big picture view and entropy sets in. As such, you need to think both big and small.
Things I hold to be true #3
Sometimes you need to slow down to speed up.
Sometimes you need to slow down to speed up.
However we can also spent a lot of time over analysing problems that are intellectually unanswerable, so other times it's better to think by making and learn by shipping.
Knowing which approach to take when is tricky, and most people tend to default to one or the other.
Things I hold to be true #4
Design can provide a huge amount of value to business.
Design can provide a huge amount of value to business.
However designers often take this for granted and get frustrated when business people who have been extremely successful without worrying out design, don't immediately drink the cool aid.
The most effective designers become advocates for design, form alliances, and pick their battles sensibly. However they also realise it's impossible to change hearts and minds over night, so are in it for the long haul.
Things I hold to be true #5
Designers and technologists need to stop seeing themselves as separate from "the business".
Designers and technologists need to stop seeing themselves as separate from "the business".
However it's bloody hard to do. Especially if you feel unsupported and marginalised by your company.
Things I hold to be true #6
The key role in any design or technology team is the lead role. They set the standards others follow, act as coaches and role models to juniors, while having the trust and ability to influence business stakeholders.
The key role in any design or technology team is the lead role. They set the standards others follow, act as coaches and role models to juniors, while having the trust and ability to influence business stakeholders.
However leads are all to often hired into management positions, and get sucked into an endless round of recruitment, budgeting, and planning meetings. They stop being effective role models, the team atrophies and attrition and dissension starts to rise.
Things I hold to be true #7
Everybody is largely trying to do the right thing.
Everybody is largely trying to do the right thing.
However when your right thing get's blocked by somebody else's right thing, you almost always end up writing that person off as difficult or ignorant.
Rather than trying to convince the other person of your opinion, it's better to understand their opinion, get agreement on the problem you're trying to solve, and find a middle path.
This is one of the reasons why working with people is hard, why decisions take so long, and why the results are often mediocre.
Things I hold to be true #8
It's better to design the right thing, than design the thing right.
It's better to design the right thing, than design the thing right.
As designers we often get stuck down rabbit holes that nobody actually cares about, and end up producing a beautifully designed and engineered product that nobody wants.
Things I hold to be true #9
It's easier to sell a well designed product than a poorly designed one. As such, more of the money you were going to send on marketing should be diverted into design.
In short, marketing should support product. Not the other way around.
It's easier to sell a well designed product than a poorly designed one. As such, more of the money you were going to send on marketing should be diverted into design.
In short, marketing should support product. Not the other way around.
Much as I believe this to be true, history is littered with the corpses of well designed products that failed to capture the attention of the market, while there are plenty of crappy products out there that have gained huge success because of superior marketing.
Things I hold to be true #10
Product management is the hardest job in tech.
Product management is the hardest job in tech.
You have all the responsibility but none of the power. Everybody thinks they know better than you. It's impossible to satisfy everybody. When things go well somebody else will get the credit. When things go wrong, you'll get the blame (even if you flagged it up from the start).
Things I hold to be true #11
The reason most projects go wrong is because of a lack of shared understanding from the outset.
The reason most projects go wrong is because of a lack of shared understanding from the outset.
Everybody sitting around the table has a picture in their heads of what they want. They think its the same picture that the person sitting next to them have, but it's not.
The ability to visualise thoughts, beliefs, concepts and decisions is a super power. It get's everybody on the same page, or at least highlights where things unexpectedly diverge. It also prevents peoples from hiding behind ambiguity.
